Dandelion-killer.



No. 896,904.` PATENTBD AUG. 25, 1908. J. s. POULKB a. T. J. FLAVIN.

DANDELION KILLER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22,1907.

Wag/Lman .EMM

15 a part of this speciiication.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.,l

JOSEPH S. FOULKE AND THOMAS J. FLAVIN, OF GUNNISON, COLORADO.

DANDELION-KILLER.

i county of Gunnison and State of Colorado,v

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dandelion Killers;and we do declare the following to-be a full, clear, and exactdescription of theinvention, such as will venable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the acconipanying drawings, and `to the letters and figures ofreference marked thereon, which form Our invention relates to a deviceadapted for use in the killing of obnoxious weeds as` 1dlandelions, andCanadian and Russian this- The device is constructed to deliver to theroot of the plant a liquid of such character as to kill the samewithoutinteiferin with the grass or surrounding plants whic it is not desiredto destroy.

Generally speaking our improvement consists of a liquid-containing tubewhose lowei' extremity is pointed to facilitate its entrance into theground in the immediate vicinity of the plant to be destroyed. In

communication withv thisv tube is a bulb which is also connected with asource of liquid supply, wherebyl the liquid may be forced into the tubeand out into the earth throughopenmgs formed in the tube. In

order to prevent more liquid from escaping that the valve may be movedto open the exit oriices of the tube, simultaneously with the pressureof the bulb for forcing the liquid into and out of the tube. Theinvention Will now be described in detail reference being made to theaccompanying drawing in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In this drawing, Figure 1 is a view of the` device shown inV section andalso in connec- 50 tion with a liquid-containing receptacle formof thebulb.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed July 22,1907. SerialNo. 385,074.

handle is connected with the casing.

Vrod 31.

Patented Aug'. 25, 1908.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate a casing in which is secured a tube' 6. Thistube projects both above and below the casing. The upper part of thecasing is provided with a sleeve 7 provided with an interiorly threadednipple 8 in which is screwed an exteriorly threaded stein 9 of a handle10 wherebyI the nto the top of the sleeve 7 is screwed a re'ducinosleeve11 which ts the tube 6 tightly an secures and holds the latter inoperative position within the casing. The tube is brazed or otherwisesuitably secured to the lower extremity ofthe casing as shown at 12. ToY ground 14. The point as shown in the drawing is attached .to the tubeby a threaded connection. To the upper extremity of the tube is applieda sleeve 15, the top of which is closed by a screw plug 16. Into thissleeve 15 is screwed a casing 17 connected with one extremity of arubber bulb 18. Within the valve casing is located a valve device 19.The valve casing 17 is enlarged both on the inside and outside of thebulb as shown at 20 and 21 whereby the casing is held securely iiiplace. To the opposite extremity of the bulb is connected a similarcasing 22 in which is located a valve piece 23. The casing 22 isenlarged within the bulb as shown at 24 and is rovided with projectionsto hold the valve in place when in the open position. The casing 22 hasa threaded stein 26 to which is secured an elbow member 27 with which isconnected a ilexible conduit 28 leading to a receptacle 29 containingthe weed destroying liquid.

Within the tube 6 is located a piston valve 30 connected with the lowerextremity of a This rod asses through an opening in the plu lwhiciforins a guide for thel rod. The rod a so projects above the lug 16 andis connected as shown at 32 wit i a lever 33 fulcruined at 34 on anl arm35 mounted on the upper part of the casing as showiiat 36. The rod isnormallyheld' in position to cause the valve to close the exit oriices37 of the tube,'by a spring 38 attached toan arm Y39 and bearing againstthe lever 33 whereby the Said lever is normally held in a positioncorresponding with the aforesaid position of the valve 30. The arm 39projects over the top. of the bulb '18 and is connected with the valvecasing 22 at one extremity by a vchain 40. The opposite extremity of thevenience in forcing the fpointed extremity of the device into the eartFrom the foregoing descri tion the use and operation of our improvedevice will be readily understood. Assuming that the receptacle 29contains the necessary weedkilling liquid, when the device is in use,its point 13 may be forced into the earth as shown in the drawing, bypressing upon the v part 42 of the casing. This point should be forcedinto the earth in close proximity to the plant to be killed. As soon asthis has been done, the hand of the user presses upon the bulb 18 whichit may be assumed is filled with liquid from the receptacle 29. Thepressure of this bulb, forces the liquid out of the bulb 'into the tube6. Simultaneously with theY pressure of the bulb, the lever 33 isactuated to depress the rod 31 and force the valve 30 downwardly,uncovering the ports or orifices 37 of the tube 6, allowing the liquid,to pass downwardly into contact I with the roots of the weed to bedestroyed.

v This operation is only momentary, after containing tube in the lowerportion of w which the hand of the user which has pressed the bulb, isopened, allowing the bulb to expand, whereby, it is again filled withliquid by the opening of the valve 23 in response. to the suction orpartial vacuum produced. It will be observed that as the bulb ispressed,

the valve 23 is closed while the valve piece 19 is forced to the openposition allowing the liquid to pass freely from the bulb into the tube.During the use of the device, it is supported in proper position by thehandle 10 which is grasped by one hand of the user. The conduit 28 issupposedl to be of such length, as to leave the receptacle 29 in asuitable location where it need not be often' moved. In other words thedevice may be moved about a lawn of ordinary size for killingdandelions, without moving the receptacle. Or this receptacle may becomparatively small as a quart bottle, which `may be readily moved fromplace to place as circumstances may require.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. A dandelion killer comprising a li uidqhich is formed an exitorifice, a valve located in. the tube and of the same size as the innerdiameter of the tube whereby it forms a piston, the said valve beinglocated in the tube below the liquid and forming a sup ort for thelatter, there being a sp ace below the valve when in position to closethe exit orifice, to permit its downward niovement-when it is desired toopen the exit orifice, the said valve being provided with a rodprotruding'from the upper extremity of the tube for operating purposes.

2. A weed killing device, comprising a tube having a pointed lowerextremity and provided with a liquid-escape orifice formed in its lowerportion, a valve located inthe tube, a suitable connection with thevalve whereby the latter is normally in position to close the saidorifice, said c'onnectionincluding a springactuated lever, an expansiblebulb connected in operative relation with the tube, the lever beingarranged in such proximity to the bulb that the lever may be actuated by'the saine hand that presses the bulb.

3. A weed killing device comprising a casing, a tube mounted in thecasing and provided with a pointed lower extremity, an expansible bulbconnected in operative relation with the tube for forcing liquidthereinto, the tube having exit orifices near its lower extremity, avalve for closing said orifices, a lever mounted on the casing, and asuitable. connection between the lever and the valve, the lever beinglocated in such proximity to the bulb that the lever may be o erated toopen the valve simultaneously wit the presp sure of the bulb,substantially as described.

4. The combination with a tube adapted 100 to hold li uid and having apointed lower eX- tremity, t ie tube having exit orifices formed in itslower ortion, a valve located in the tube and of t e saine size as theinner diamee ter of the tube, the said valve normally being j inposition to close the exit orifices of the tube, the said valve beinglocated below the liquidand forming a sup ort for the latter the tubehaving a space be ow the valve when,"y the latter is in position toclose the exit ori-` 110 `fices, to permit the downward movement ofl`the valve in order to open said Aorifices and permit the escape ofliquid, and a rod connected with the said valve and protruding from theupper extremity of the tube for operating purposes,'substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

JOSEPH s. FoULKE. THoMAs J. FLAviN.

Witnesses:

E. E. MUELLER, J. M. McDoUGAL.

